Construction begins on the RoseArts District on the former Lake Orlando golf course

Construction has started on the RoseArts District, the planned apartment-and-retail district on the former Lake Orlando golf course in Rosemont. The City of Orlando's project page records "September 30, 2026 – Groundbreaking on phase 1". Westside Capital Group broke ground that Wednesday with Mayor Buddy Dyer, WFTV reported.

What changed

• Phase 1 is under way. The City's page describes it as "+/- 1,594 residential units with 160 units affordable". The City's Phase 1 letter allows "up to 1,600 residential units and up to 150,000 sq. ft. of non-residential uses to be in four multi-story buildings".
• "Affordable" means designated in the approved plan, not certified. A 2024 City letter says "The overall project has not been approved for Affordable Housing Certification".
• A charter school, per WFTV. WFTV reported that the phase "is also expected to include up to 150,000 square feet of retail space and a charter school". The City's page does not mention a school.
• The cost is a reported figure, not a settled one. WFTV headlined "$2.6 billion", and GrowthSpotter reported the same figure. A second WFTV report the same day headlined "$1-2 billion".
• GrowthSpotter called it "the single largest infill development in Orlando history".

When

• Groundbreaking: Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
• The first building: about 30 months, per the developer. A GrowthSpotter photo caption reports that Westside Capital's Jakub Hejl said "the first building in Phase 1 will take about 30 months to complete". That is the developer's estimate, not a commitment.
• How it got here: the City Council adopted the RoseArts master plan by "Ordinance No. 2021-74" in December 2021, and approved the Phase 1 plan in 2022.

Where

• The whole site is the City's "phased redevelopment of 128-acres formerly the home of the Lake Orlando Golf Course & Country Club".
• Phase 1 is "+/- 38.5 acres located south of Rosamond Drive".

What it means if you live here

• No apartments to rent yet. The developer puts the first building at about 30 months from the September 30, 2026 groundbreaking, which by that estimate means around spring 2029.
• More phases are planned. At full buildout the City's page lists "5,650 multifamily dwelling units", "350,000 square feet of commercial development" and "Up to 65-acres of parks and green space".
• On traffic, WFTV reported the developer is "building its own road to facilitate and accommodate the traffic".